


Time

by tassy0928



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harmony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tassy0928/pseuds/tassy0928
Summary: Harry skips back in time a few hours to fix a mistake.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68
Collections: Harmony For Essentials Gift Exchange





	Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Potter71](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potter71/gifts).



> Thank you for Potter71 & all of the essential workers! You are wonderful and appreciated.

Honestly, sometimes, Harry surprised even himself with the sheer amount of stupidity and dumb luck he operated on. Now, he didn’t even have the excuse of being an idiot teenager or having the stress of war and a mass murderer on his trail. Now he was a grown man who, whilst completely shattered, decided he should go back in time. Which was both dangerous and illegal, even if it was only by a few hours. 

“Harry! There you are, mate!” Neville clapped him on the back, causing him to stumble a bit, which caused his friend to laugh. “Woah, there, drink wee bit too much already? Hermione’s looking for you. Last I saw she was in the gardens.” He lowered his voice, “She looked upset, Harry. I think it might have to do with Ron and his date.”

“That sounds about right,” Harry nodded, straightening himself. He thought hard about where he was- the other, past him- right then. It was more difficult than it should be given the haze the alcohol was providing. He turned to Neville, “You, uh, wouldn’t happen to have a Sober Me Up, would you?”

Hands digging into his coat pocket, Neville turned a little red, “Actually, I do.”

Harry downed the potion, nose wrinkling just slightly at the taste and the tingling, “Thought you might need a little liquid courage on your big day, aye?”

“Turns out I didn’t,” Neville laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. Hannah called his name and he clapped Harry on the back once again, “Tell Hermione that Ron and his date’ve gone. I don’t want her to be uncomfortable. I should have asked him to leave when I realized what he was doing.”

“I will, thank you. And thank you for the potion. And congratulations, Neville! The gardens, you say?” Harry had begun to walk away even as he was speaking. He knew that he wouldn’t be running into himself anytime soon. A quick glance at the clock told him that he had already Apparated back to Potter Manor. Following Neville’s instructions, he made his way to the gardens. 

Hermione sat, wine bottle in hand, on a bench hidden from view. It took him a bit to find her- he passed her twice before she sighed loudly and called his name. Approaching her, he stuffed his hands in his pants pockets as she said, a little pathetically, “I thought you’d gone.”

“I did,” he admitted, shrugging, “I went back home and sat and realized how bloody stupid all of this is. I mean, look at you-” he ignored her glare, “-crying over Ron. He’s a prat, ‘Mione. He’s always been a prat, but especially to you. He’s my best mate, but he’s an awful boyfriend, and we all know it. Honestly, he’s kind of an arsehole.”

“He is kind of an arsehole, isn’t he?” Hermione gave a sad, wet laugh. She wiped her face, “It’s not that I miss him. I’m glad to be rid of him in that way, if we’re being honest. When he cheated on me with that woman from his department I felt… relieved. I’m just- it’s embarrassing, Harry! He’s telling everyone these awful things and he knows exactly what to say to make me feel like utter garbage and-”

“-do you want to know what else is stupid about this whole thing?”

“Harry, I was speaking. It’s rude to interrupt people,” Hermione frowned, reaching forward to slap his arm. When he caught her fingers, she looked up at him, setting the wine bottle down. She sighed, “What else is stupid about this whole thing?”

Harry pulled her to a stand, his free hand coming to rest on her back, “Me.”

“You?” Hermione asked. 

He nodded, removing his hand from her long enough to flick his wand. The song ‘O Children’- the same song that they danced to in the tent the year they were on the run - began to play. He watched her smile as he led them to sway, “Do you remember this song?”

“Of course I do, Harry.”

“If I were smarter, I would have kissed you the first time we danced to this song,” he told her as he spun her, catching her and holding her closer to him. “It would have saved us both a lot of time.”

“Harry-”

“At first, when we were at Hogwarts, I thought it was just a silly crush. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship over something that was going to go away in a few weeks. Then I found out that you liked Ron and that… made it easier to push my feelings aside. Then we got older and it didn’t go away; in fact, it grew. It became undeniable. Still, even when Ginny and I broke up and she told me that I should tell you how I feel, I was afraid. You are the only genuine connection I have in my life, Hermione. The only person who has ever, from the start, just saw me as Harry and nothing more,” he said. 

As he spoke, he kissed one cheek. Then the other. Then her nose. “You are so brilliant. So driven. So beautiful. You are unstoppable and fierce and loyal and kind.” 

Hermione, who had managed to stop crying before, was wiping tears from her face again as Harry trailed off. When his lips finally reached hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. The thought of them had always been so complicated. Ron and Ginny and their public personas. Harry decided right then that he was going to uncomplicate it. 

“I have always loved you, Hermione. You are my friend and my family. I’m hoping that you’ll be something more, now,” he said, lips touching hers as he spoke.

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione nodded, “It’s about time.”


End file.
